Empire Ascension: The Rise of the Fated One-Chapter 159: Raid of Dutch Supplies part - 2

Dutch occupied Indian territory, outskirts of shimoga city, few days back on 16th March 1557

It is afternoon. The area is a jungle with a clear path and a clearing surrounded by thick lines of trees amid the slopes. Soldiers in green leather armor and black dhotis, for camouflage can be seen cutting and chopping wooden logs to sharpen them nearby.

Captain Vishwasrao Shindhe, a 23-year-old Maratha, oversees the preparation of traps with his hand resting on his waist. He is clad in a snug leather vest reinforced with plate armor protecting his chest, and a turban crowns his head. At his waist, he carries a talwar, and a katar is tucked into the robe wrapped around his waist. He wears a dhoti and mojari for footwear, and a round shield is strapped to his back.

Standing at 5’8", an average height for a soldier, he possesses a strong, agile physique and a commanding presence as he surveys the preparations.

"Sardar," the soldier panted, "reinforcements are on their way, escorted by Captain Simha."

Vishwasrao nodded, a contemplative "Hmm..." escaping his lips. He claps his hands to get everyone’s attention and commands, "Mavalis (soldiers), gather around. Your commander is coming."

The soldiers immediately ceased their work, forming a disciplined line in front of their captain.

Turning to his subordinate, he commands, "Inform Sardar Patil and tell him to gather his men at the clearing."

The soldier salutes with a bow and hurriedly leaves.

Somewhere deep inside the jungle, on a branch of a tree 15 feet above the ground, Captain Jijarao Patil, a slender man standing 6’2" tall and around the age of 30, is tying the knot of a rope that is connected to another branch from a distant tree. It is part of a trap they are setting for the Dutch. He wears similar armor, except for a longbow and thick quiver, full of arrows.

Suddenly, he hears a voice, "Sardar, the Telugu commander has arrived."

He tested the knot one last time before shouting down to his men, "Everyone, get out and gather around!" Without hesitation, he leaped from the branch, landing with a solid thud on the forest floor.

All other Marathas emerge from bushes or tree branches nearby and carefully gather at a safe clearing.

****

A few moments later, in a safe clearing in the forest, the Maratha guerrillas had assembled in neat rows, awaiting further orders. While the 50 Vijayanagar Empire forces are setting up camp a short distance away along with other existing tents.

As the Marathas stand in neat rows, they are surveyed by Field Commander Muddappa Nayakudu, who is flanked by three other Maratha captains. He converses with them about their specialties and is impressed by their all-around expertise. The Maratha leaders brief him on the ongoing preparations.

As they neared the conflict site, Muddappa clasped his hands behind his back and inquired, "I see, so we will need ranged attacks for most of this. But my unit is not well-versed in that. I have brought only twenty archers."

Captain Jijarao Patil suggested, "We have crossbows looted from merchants. They were en route to the Dutch stronghold, so we seized them along the way. Reloading takes time, but they will be effective for ranged attacks and easy to use."

"And what about their musket shots? It will be hard to get close since they can pierce through armor," Muddappa inquired as he followed them toward the conflict site.

Simha Bachkar replied, "We have some horses. We plan to launch a surprise attack to eliminate the remnants." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Muddappa affirmed their plan and instructed Jijarao to train the rest of his soldiers to familiarize them with the crossbow.

By this time, they reached the site of the conflict, and the Marathas elaborated on the rest of the plan and his role. They were currently near the ditch they had prepared for the Dutch.

Impressed, Muddappa inquires, "So all I need to do is hide until they divide their forces?"

Simha Bachkar, acting as the representative of the Marathas, replies, "Yes, Commander."

Muddappa looks down at the ditch and inquires, "Are you sure they will take this route?"

Vishwasrao replies, "Yes, Commander. We have made the bridge weak. It will appear natural."

Muddappa, still looking at the 6-foot-deep ditch, comments, "I don’t think this plan is enough. Let’s revise it and add more elements."

He stands up and heads to their tent area, with the other three captains following him.

Two days later, afternoon of 18th march 1557.

In the shadowy path, the Dutch musketeers marched steadily along the forested route, their boots crunching on the dusty ground as they formed a disciplined line.

The carts, drawn by horses, carried supplies for their new stronghold. About 120 men flanked each side, with additional soldiers on horseback bringing up the rear. In total, the force numbered nearly 250.

ach musketeer wore the standard Dutch uniform: brown buff coats reinforced with metal plates underneath. They had knee-length black pants made of sturdy wool, fastened tightly at the knee, with long leather boots covering the rest of their legs. Their attire was completed with wide-brimmed hats. Across their chests, bandoliers filled with paper cartridges hung, and each musketeer tightly gripped a matchlock with a bayonet fixed, marching with discipline and precision.

At the front of the formation, Captain Hendrick van der Veen and Vice-Captain Pieter DeWitt led the way on horseback. Captain Hendrick, a tall man with a sharp gaze, wore a polished cuirass over his buff coat. His black cavalier hat was adorned with a single white leather plume, and at his side hung a finely crafted rapier. Vice-Captain Pieter, slightly younger with a stern expression, mirrored his superior’s attire, though his cuirass bore more signs of battle, and his hat was simpler.

The two officers exchanged a few quiet words, their eyes scanning the surrounding woods for any sign of trouble.

As they continued along the winding path, the trees began to thin, revealing an old wooden bridge spanning a narrow canal, which was almost dried up. The wooden bridge appeared sturdy enough at first glance but had been cunningly sabotaged. Beneath, the critical support beams had been partially chopped, a subtle sabotage that was hard to spot without crawling under the structure.

The musketeers slowed their pace as they approached, with Captain Hendrick raising his hand to signal a halt.

Captain Hendrick dismounted from his horse, prompting Vice-Captain Pieter to do the same.

Surveying the bridge from outside, Captain Hendrick inquired, "Are you certain this bridge can take the load?"

Vice-Captain Pieter replied, "Yes, sir. We’ve crossed it before with no issue."

After thinking for a while, Hendrick added, "It’s too risky. We’ve got to transfer this load along with 250 of our men. I doubt this bridge can safely support us all."

Pieter thought for a moment before replying, "There is a detour, but it’s a little longer. However, I must warn you that the area is unscouted, and sending scouts would cause further delay. It is up to you, sir."

Captain Hendrick mulled over the suggestion and replied, "I don’t want to take any risks, nor do we have time for delay. Let’s continue crossing in small groups."

As they came to an agreement, the soldiers were told to pass through the bridge in squads. As they crossed over, the bridge began to tremble. The partially chopped support beams couldn’t hold under the weight, and the bridge started to crack and groan.

’CREAK!’

A loud noise erupted as the damaged side of the bridge gave way. The soldiers, horrified, scrambled to get across quickly, causing the bridge to shudder violently. The fracture spread rapidly, leading to the collapse of the entire structure.

The carts, which were being pulled across by horses and tethered with ropes, fell into the canal, spilling war supplies, including rifles, into the shallow, dried-up ditch.

Fortunately, the depth of the canal was not significant, and the soldiers sustained only minor bruises.

Captain Hendrick’s face darkened as he looked at Vice-Captain Pieter with anger. He retorted, "And I thought we would make it safely following an expert’s advice?"

Sweating profusely, Vice-Captain Pieter replied, "We can still make it, sir. Let’s take the second route. It’s unlikely anyone would dare attack in our territory."

Captain Hendrick sighed, "Like I have any other choice."

Though enraged, Captain Hendrick knew it was partly his fault for not checking the bridge more thoroughly.

Sensing the urgent need to reach their stronghold, he decided to take the detour and sent scouts ahead to signal if they encountered any trouble.

Despite their careful planning, the strategy quickly turned into a blunder as all of their scouts were silenced by blowpipes and carefully hidden traps, with none making it back alive or giving any signal.

As they reached the conflict zone, from one side, 60 soldiers in better positions, sheltered by thick trees and rocks, launched a sudden attack.

The arrows whistled past and hit their marks, stray muskets fired, and crossbows whizzed through the air.

The Dutch army was caught off guard by the unexpected assault, but Captain Hendrick quickly organized them into formation. The damage on the Dutch side was substantial but not catastrophic, given their numerical advantage.

Since the attack came from one side, the Dutch were able to take cover and return fire, while the cunning attackers retreated into the cover of thick trees.

Vice-Captain Pieter, coming over on horseback, suggested urgently, "Sir, please send me to eliminate them. They could attack again and pose a future threat."

Now Captain Hendrick faced a dilemma: whether to pursue the attackers or focus on completing their journey. Time was passing quickly, and he had to make a decision fast, as the mission’s fate depended on it.

***********************

//A/N:

My deepest gratitude to PratikMonty for the new golden ticket. Your support is immensely appreciated. Thanks for reading.